About Enzymes


Definition --> Enzymes have extremely interesting properties that make them little chemical-reaction machines. The purpose of an enzyme in a cell is to allow the cell to carry out chemical reactions very quickly. These reactions allow the cell to build things or take things apart as needed. This is how a cell grows and reproduces. At the most basic level, a cell is really a little bag full of chemical reactions that are made possible by enzymes.
food-glucose.gif
A diagram of the chemical structure of glucose


Note: Enzymes are made from amino acids, and they are proteins.

Definition --> Active Site is a region on an enzyme that binds to a protein or other substance during a reaction.



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A diagram of Maltose molecules being used as a substrate to show the binding of the substance and the protein










Without enzymes, reactions would be really slow because --> the body is essentially a "chemical processing plant", all enzymes are crucial in every aspect of physiology. All enzymes have certain characteristics in common, which enable them to be effective.


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A picture to illustrate the above mentioned features using a fixed-size wrench as a metaphor




(3) Why are enzymes so specific?

(4) What are some of the differences between the enzyme pepsin & the enzymes on the membrane of mitochondria?

Work Cited